Εγκύκλιος BWM.2/Circ 35/15-08-2011 IMO- Εφαρμογή προσωρινού μέτρου εθελοντικής ανταλλαγής έρματος των πλοίων στη Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα
Καθιερώνεται η BWM.2/Circ 35 /15-08-2011 σε εθελοντική βάση της ανταλλαγής έρματος των πλοίων στη Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα στα πρότυπα που ορίζει ο Κανονισμός D1 της Δ.Σ. BWM 2004, ως προσωρινού μέτρου (on interim basis).Το συγκεκριμένο μέτρο, αποτελεί μετεξέλιξη της πρότασης της Ιταλίας (έγγραφο REMPEC/WG.31/6), η οποία υιοθετήθηκε κατά την 2η Περιφερειακή Συνάντηση της Ομάδας άμεσης δράσης του Προγράμματος GloBallast για την Περιφερειακή Στρατηγική σχετικά με τη Διαχείριση έρματος των Πλοίων στη Μεσόγειο (Κων/πολη, 01-03/06/2010). Στη συνέχεια και με πρωτοβουλία του REMPEC, ενημερώθηκε σχετικά ο Διεθνής Ναυτιλιακός Οργανισμός (ΙΜΟ), ο οποίος εξέδωσε τη διαλαμβανόμενη στο θέμα εγκύκλιο, που ορίζει ότι η εφαρμογή του μέτρου, θα ξεκινήσει εθελοντικά την 01-01-2012.
Ως προσωρινό, το εν λόγω μέτρο, θα εξακολουθήσει να ισχύει μέχρι το εκάστοτε πλοίο να ανταποκρίνεται στα πρότυπα που έχουν τεθεί από τον Κανονισμό D2 της Δ.Σ. BWM 2004 ή εναλλακτικά μέχρις ότου τεθεί σε ισχύ η Σύμβαση αυτή και ως εκ τούτου, το πλοίο να ανταποκριθεί στα πρότυπα που τίθενται στον Κανονισμό D2, κατά τις ημερομηνίες εφαρμογής που τίθενται στον Κανονισμό Β3 της Σύμβασης BWM 2004.
Ειδικότερα, προτείνεται τα πλοία που εισέρχονται ή εξέρχονται από τη Μεσόγειο να ανταλλάσσουν έρμα πριν την είσοδό τους ή μετά την έξοδό τους, αντίστοιχα. Όσον αφορά πλοία που δραστηριοποιούνται εντός της Μεσογείου Θάλασσας προτείνεται η ανταλλαγή έρματος να πραγματοποιείται σε απόσταση τουλάχιστον 50 ν.μ. από την ακτή και σε βάθος τουλάχιστον 200 μ. όπως άλλωστε ορίζει ο Κανονισμός Β.4 της Δ.Σ. BWM 2004.
BWM.2/Circ 35/15-08-2011 IMO – Τhe harmonized voluntary arrangements for ballast water management in the mediterranean region
The Contracting Parties* to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (also known as the Barcelona Convention) recently adopted the Harmonized Voluntary Arrangements for Ballast Water Management in the Mediterranean Region BWM.2/Circ 35 /15-08-2011 .
The Harmonized Voluntary Arrangements for Ballast Water Management in the Mediterranean Region provide guidance for voluntary Ballast Water exchange and Management options to vessels transiting the Mediterranean Sea Area.
The arrangements are of voluntary interim nature and will be applicable from the 1st day of January 2012, until the time that the Ballast Water Management Convention enters into force.
In general, each vessel calling at a port within the Mediterranean Sea area is required to have on board a Ballast Water Management Plan complying with requirements of the Guidelines for Ballast Water Management and Development of Ballast water Management Plans developed by the International Maritime Organization and to keep a record of all ballast water operations carried out (or in case the operation was not undertaken, the reasons why the ballast water exchange was not carried out*).
According to the adopted Harmonized Voluntary Arrangements for Ballast Water Management in the Mediterranean Region:
All Ships entering or leaving the waters of Mediterranean Sea area from or to the Atlantic Ocean (Straits of Gibraltar), or from or to the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea (Suez Canal), should undertake ballast water exchange before entering or after leaving the Mediterranean Sea area, and at least 200 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters at least 200 meters in depth.
In certain situations and in order to avoid delays for the ship or deviation from a ship’s intended voyage or even in cases where safety reasons* suggest so, the required ballast water exchange should be undertaken before entering or after leaving the Mediterranean Sea area, as far from the nearest land as possible, and in all cases in waters at least 50 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters of at least 200 meters depth.
In both cases, the Ballast Water Exchange has to be in accordance with the standard set out in the D-1 Standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention (Sequential, Flow Through or Dilution Methods are accepted as meeting the D-1 Standard)
Further to the above, and in cases Ships are engaged in traffic between:
1. ports located within the Mediterranean Sea area; or
2. a port located in the Black Sea area and a port located in the Red Sea area; or
3. a port located in the Black Sea and a port located in the Mediterranean Sea area; or
4. a port located in the Red Sea area and a port located in the Mediterranean Sea area.
The ballast water exchange should be undertaken as far from the nearest land as possible, and in all cases in waters at least 50 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters of at least 200 meters depth.
In certain situations and in order to avoid delays for the ship or deviation from a ship’s intended voyage or even in cases where safety reasons** suggest so, the required ballast water exchange should be undertaken in areas designated by the port State for that purpose.
Sediments collected during the cleaning or repairing operations of ballast tanksshould be delivered in sediment reception facilities in ports and terminals, or be discharged beyond 200 nautical miles from the nearest land of the coastline when the ship is sailing in the Mediterranean Sea area.
*Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (also known as the Barcelona Convention):Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.
If the safety or stability of the ship is threatened by a ballast water exchange operation, this operation should not be undertaken. The reasons should be entered in the ballast water record book and a Report should be submitted to the maritime authorities of the Port of destination. (Regulation B-4 of the Ballast Water Management Convention).
